The year of the crisis. El año de la crisis. It has become more prevalent and one that intensifies and circulates rapidly. Sometimes within minutes. It is not only the response pace that matters, but language also plays a pivotal role. Many U.S. households are multilingual, with Spanish being the most spoken language after English. This diversity means organizations have to listen beyond dialects to the cultural nuances and everyday expressions that define their audiences.
To effectively manage crisis communications, brands must have a comprehensive plan already in place. For multilingual organizations, building a bilingual rapid-response system goes far beyond simply translating messages. It requires the development of incident workflows that function seamlessly across multiple languages, ensuring all operational components are coordinated, unified, efficient and consistent.
Preparing these systems in advance guarantees that culturally-sensitive communications are swiftly delivered to all audiences. This proactive approach minimizes confusion and helps maintain clarity during critical moments.
The Indispensable Pillars of a Bilingual Rapid Response System
To be transparent and safeguard reputation in a bilingual rapid response system, these critical pillars warrant clear, inclusive and agile communication under pressure.
1. Speed: Simultaneous Messaging: In crisis communication, delivering English and Spanish information at the same time ensures all communities receive timely updates. Quick adaptation to both traditional and modern platforms help distribute information efficiently.
2. Reliability: Consistent and Trustworthy Information: Unified messaging in all languages prevents misinformation and shows integrity. Consistency builds trust with diverse audiences; storytelling makes messages more relatable, especially for the Hispanic community.
3. Cultural Competence: Reflecting Community Values: Effective crisis communication requires an understanding and reflection of cultural values, not just translation. Multilingual strategies ensure respect and relevance.
Spokespeople Who Rapidamente Earn Trust
Before we discuss the actual system itself, brands must assemble a strong crisis management team that is fully diverse and prepared to tackle any emergency. Recommended experts include:
- A trained English spokesperson ready for the media.
- A Spanish spokesperson with native fluency or a bilingual option.
- A liaison with community leaders and multicultural media.
Provide bilingual message maps, three clear talking points, a “don’t say this” list, and 30-second audio quotes for everyone. Ensure correct name pronunciation and recognize the impact on the community in focus.
Now we shift to the construction of the rapid response system. Step-by-step:
Pre-Crisis: Build the System Before Day Zero
- Research and identify native dialects, demographics, communal locations and cultural needs of the local/regional area.
- Build relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations, faith leaders, service providers and Spanish-language media outlets that serve diverse Hispanic populations.
- Develop and vet pre-translated message templates for different scenarios (ex: natural disasters).
- Book professional interpreter and translation services, whether remote or in-person, to assist in any translation-related matters during a crisis. The same concept goes for volunteers.
- Formulate a multilingual resource database and toolkit that includes PSAs, websites, resources, applications, captions, QR codes and alerts people can access immediately to get information.
During Crisis: Implement The Rapid Response System Within 24 Hours
- Activate and deploy the crisis communications team, where they will assess, execute, and inform internal and external audiences of the crisis. Verify media kits are available.
- Craft transparent and reliable messages in both English and Spanish where the key points are clear, actionable and accessible.
- Use many traditional, alternative and new communication mediums to maximize reach and engagement (ex: radio, TV, newsletters, flyers and social media groups).
- Implement two-way communication for individuals to translate and respond in their native tongue and offer feedback.
- Use different technology, including Natural Language Processing-AI, for quick broadcasting, tracking and oversight of news.
- Maintain empathy, compassion and transparency every time you communicate with the public in their dialect. Always be factual and trustworthy to people, especially those in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Post-Crisis: Evaluate and Adapt
- Monitor feedback to see how people understood the flow of information, who transmitted it and the response rate during the crisis.
- Evaluate and debrief with the crisis communications team and partners to analyze the results and challenges.
- Adapt and refine your rapid response system based on the lessons that transpired during the predicament.
- Conduct annual crisis communications training to ensure everyone practices their roles and confirms the execution and effectiveness of the structure.
Hispanic Hertiage Month's 2025 theme is “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.” In times of crisis, being prepared and ahead will help you navigate the storm and empower others to lead with action and cement your credibility collectively. Preparados ante la crisis, unidos como comunidad/Prepared in the face of crisis, united as a community.
Yesenia Reinoso is the Founder and Principal Owner of Y Communicate.